William h



w. H. ELLIOT. APPARATUS FOR TRANSFERRING GOODS TO AND FROM MOVING CARS.

Patented March 7,1876.

k v {Fl {i -An IE7" 7 l N PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAFHER, WASHINGTON. D C.

it,-.in. which case the mouth-of the receivingpassagecould be made by the same means to swing out and in through the side of the car. This receiver may be provided with a conducting-passage, b, as shown in Fig. 7, which would operatein substantially thesame manner as the apparatus. shown in my patent of November 16, 1875, except that the packages would be received into the car through the side instead of through the root. I

This conducting-passage should be jointed to the receiving-passage of the receiver, as shown at b, and it should also be carried out and in through the side of the car by jointed arms in the same manner that the receivingpassage is operated.

Another modification of my invention is shown in Fig. 8, in which case the conductingpassage 1) and valve 1) upon the roof of the car are the same as those shown. in the abovementioned patent; but the receiving-passage curves horizon tally. and spirally down'one turn into acylindrical chamber, which is arranged upon a vertical axis, and which is suspended from the under side of the roof of the car, and is provided with a large opening, '8, in the bottom, through which the packages fall upon. a table placed there for their reception after they have been brought to a stand '-s'till by the cylindrical chamber. I

.The employment of a cylindrical chamber which is arranged upon a vertical axis'has decided advantages over one arranged upon a horizontal axis. When the former is employed the package runs quietly around, meet ing with uniform friction, neither rising nor falling within the chamber; but when the latteris employed-the package meets with Very uneven .friotion, risesand falls with great rapidity, and is very likely, as the motion subsides, to get an injurious tumble.

My improved station-receiver is composed "of a long box, 0, adapted to receive packages at both ends, having two conducting-passages, one at each end, with their necessary inclined planes, and provided also with wells 0 at each end, for the reception and arrest of the packages should they have any force left after passing throughthewhole length of the receiver. This receiver is also provided with long openings 0 in its top, for convenience of removing packages therefrom'that do'not' pass entirely through it. These .openings should have water-tight covers, provided with bolts for fastening them down. Instead of a conducting-passage, the cover of my stationreceiver may have a cut in the central portion of the top, at each end, like that shown at i, Fig. 2. In that case the train-deliverer should be constructed like the station-deliverer D, but the violent agitation of the atmosphere at the side of the car near the ground makes it desirable to have a method of suspending packages which will hold them steadier than they can be held by single loops. For this purpose I'construct and arrange the suspendingcover and its loops as shownin Figs.3 and 6. These loops and their suspending-hooks are attached to the cover in pairs, each pair being arranged in a line at right angles to the line of the movement of the car, and so attached to the package that they brace it against the various lateral currents of the atmosphere.

For a station-deliverer which operates at a point where the currents of the atmosphere are steadier and less violent, I prefer that shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 5, on account of the simplicity of its construction and operation. In this deliverer the suspending-bar is provided with a single line of hooks, which are so arranged as to project in a direction at right angles, or nearly so, to the diagonal edge 2" on the receiving passage, by which the loops are gradually crowded oft the hooks as the car passes along, after the package has entered the mouth of the receiving-passage.

t 'By theemployment of the parallel bar 7' and the swingingframe, with the suspendingbar' pivoted to its arms, I keep the suspending-bar, with its hooks, from rolling upon its axis; Without this combination, hooks that are arranged to point across the axis of the swinging frame could not be made to operate in the different positions of that frame.

By reference to Fig. 5 the relative positions of the. suspending-bar, with its hooks, and the diagonal edge may readily be understood;

Fig. 4 represents a suspending-hook pro vided with a stripper, which will force the loop ott' the end of the hook, and then retire with the hook and lever above the lower surface of the suspending cover, out of the way of the receiving-passage. In this modification the stripper remains stationary until the loop is 011' the hook, when, by the continued action of the lever, the hook and stripper are caused to rise together.

The operation of my improved apparatus is as follows: Preparatory to transferring packages to the train the swinging frame of the station-deliverer is. brought to a vertical posi tion, as seen in Fig. 1. The packages are then "suspended upon the hooks by loops of suitable lengths. The swinging frame is then brought to a horizontal position, as seen in Fig. 2. As the train approaches the station the open end of the receiving-passage is caused to swing outward through the side of the car by means of the double arm, in which position it is held .immovably by the position of the joint of the arm. As the mouth'of the receiving-passage passes .under the deliverer the loops or suspenders pass into the out i, and are gradually crowded off the hooks by the diagonal edgei. After the package has passed safely into the .mouth of the receiving passage, the package then "passes around within the cylindrical chamber till its force is spent in friction, when it may readily be reachedandtaken out. The rounded or globular form .of the bottom of the cylindrical chamber makes it impossible for any package passing into it either. by a slow or quick move' ment to receive a violent concussion. If the package enter by a rapid movement it will pass around the chamber; if by a very slow movement, it willdrop from the entrance-passage upon the covered or rounded bottom of the chamber, so that whatever the speed may be, the package will in all cases be received upon a curve. In transferring packages from the cars to the station, they are fastened to the suspending-cover by double loops, as seen in Fig. 3 the swinging frame is then lowered, as seen inFig. 2, and as the car passes the station -receiver, the vlever 70 passes up inclined plane h, releasing the package which then passes into the receiver, and, if it have force enough, through the receiver into the well at the opposite end, where its motion is arrested. The station-receiver is placed between double tracks, so as to receive packages from the car on one traclijgoing one way, and from the same car on the other track going the other way. Q

The most reliable way of transferring goods 1 to or from cars is to put everything into leather or canvas bags provided with suitable loops. The bags may be saturated with grease to prevent friction and heating, or they may be protected by means of buttons of hard metal, or ribs of wood, as trunks are protected. Neither the conducting-passages northe cut 43 in the upper plate of the entrance-passage are'ess'ential to the working of the receiver, as they do not in any way assist in 'the performance of its functions,which are to bring I the package from a fixed position at the station to a fixed position within the car, and vice versa; but they do assist, in connection with certain suspending devices, in safely placingthe package within the mouth of the receiving-passage.

Having described my invention, I desire to, have secured to me by Letters Patent of the United States-- v 1. The receiver B, consisting of an entrancepassage and a cylindrical chamber arranged upon a vertical axis, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. The receiver B, consisting of an entrance, G, a cylindrical chamber arranged upon a vertical axis, and provided-with a globular or rounded bottom, whereby violent concussions are avoided, substantially as specified.

3. The receiver B, adapted to swing upon the axis of the cylindrical chamber, to carry the mouth of the entrance-passage out of and into the car through the side of thesame,

substantially as and for the purpose specified. 4. The station-receiver 0, provided with conducting passages and inclined planes at each end, whereby'it is adapted to receive packages at both ends, substantially as set forth.

5. The station-receiver 0, provided with wells 0 at each end, whereby the packages are arrested after passing through the entire length of the receiver, substantially as specified.

openings 0, for convenience inf itr'emoving 7. The parallel bar 7', in combination with hooks a, when said hooks are arranged to stand across the axis of the swinging frame, and of the suspending-bar, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. 8. The arrangement of the books a on the suspending-bar 6, whereby they stand at right angles, or nearly so, to the diagonal vedge i, substantially as and for the, purpose specified.

S. LOWELL ELLIOT, v M. LowELL ELLIOT.

6. The station-receiver 0, provided with 

